He began performing with his schoolfriend Art Garfunkel in 1956; together the two came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. The duo's blend of folk and rock music in hits like "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "America", and "The Boxer" served as a soundtrack to the counterculture movement. Their career together peaked with their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), at one point the best-selling album of all time. Throughout his subsequent solo career, Simon has continued to explore an eclectic mixture of genres, including gospel, reggae, soul, and more. His celebrated 1970s output—comprising Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)—kept him in the public spotlight and saw critical and commercial acclaim, spawning the hits "Mother and Child Reunion", "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".
Across his life, Simon has intermittently reunited with Garfunkel for several tours, including the famed Concert in Central Park. The widely lauded Graceland (1986) became Simon's biggest album of his career, melding his rock sound with worldbeat flavors; its single "You Can Call Me Al" became one of Simon's top hits. A sequel of sorts, The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), preceded his own successful Concert in the Park, attended by a half-million fans. That decade, Simon focused his energies on a Broadway musical The Capeman (1997), which was poorly received. In the first quarter of the next century, Simon continued to record and tour; his later albums, such as You're the One (2000), So Beautiful or So What (2011), and Stranger to Stranger (2016), have introduced him to new generations. He retired from touring in 2018. His most recent work, Seven Psalms, will see release in May 2023.
Simon is among the most acclaimed musicians and songwriters in popular music, and one of the world's best-selling music artists, both for his solo work and with Garfunkel. He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year. Two of his works, Sounds of Silence and Graceland, have seen induction into National Recording Registry for their cultural significance, and in 2007, the Library of Congress crowned him the inaugural winner of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. He is a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care to children.
In an in-depth interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discusses the craft of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon. In the interview, Simon explains the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family and social commentary (as well as the overarching messages of religion, spirituality and God in his lyrics). Simon explains the process of how he goes about writing songs in the interview: "The music always precedes the words. The words often come from the sound of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It's like a puzzle to find the right words to express what the music is saying."
Spirit Voices
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And slept on the banks
On the leaves of a banyan tree
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
Some stories are magical, meant to be sung
Songs from the mouth of the river
When the world was young
By moon
We walk
To the brujo's door
Along a path of river stone
Women with their nursing children
Seated on the floor
We join the fevers
And the broken bones
The candlelight flickers
The falcon calls
A lime-green lizard scuttles down the cabin wall
And all of these spirit voices
Sing rainwater, sea water
River water, holy water
Wrap this child in mercy â?? heal her
Heaven's only daughter
All of these spirit voices rule the night
My hands are numb
My feet were lead
I drank a cup of herbal brew
The sweetness in the air
Combined with the lightness in my head
And I heard the jungle breathing in the bamboo
Saudocoes -- Greetings!
Da licenca um momento -- Excuse me, one moment
Te lembro -- I remind you
Que amanha -- That tomorrow
Sera tudo ou sera naoa -- It will be all or it will be nothing
Depende coracao -- It depends, heart
Sera breve ou sera grande -- It will be brief or it will be great
Depende da paixao -- It depends on the passion
Sera sujo, sera sonho -- It will be dirty, it will be a dream
Cuidado, coracao -- Be careful, heart
Sera util, sera tarde -- It will be useful, it will be late
Se esmera, coracao -- Do your best, heart
E confia -- And have trust
Na forca do amanha -- In the power of tomorrow
Lord of the earthquake
My trembling bed
The spider resumes the rhythm
Of his golden tread
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
The song "Spirit Voices" by Paul Simon is about his journey to the Amazon River in search of inspiration for his music. The lyrics describe a journey up the river and the encounters he has with indigenous people and their spiritual beliefs. The first verse describes sleeping on the banks of the river under a banyan tree while spirit voices rule the night. The second verse talks about the magical stories and songs that were told about the river when the world was young. The third verse describes a visit to the brujo, or shaman, where they join in the spiritual rituals of the people. The final verse talks about the earthquake and how it is as if the spider is returning to its rhythm after the earthquake, reminiscent of how the people also return to their spiritual beliefs after such events.
Overall, the song speaks to the power of music and spirituality to connect people across cultures and time. It highlights the beauty of indigenous culture and their spiritual beliefs, grounded deeply in nature and the rhythms of the earth.
Line by Line Meaning
We sailed up a river wide as a sea
We traveled by boat along a vast and expansive river.
And slept on the banks
We rested on the shore of the river.
On the leaves of a banyan tree
We used the leaves of a banyan tree to cushion ourselves while we slept.
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
Throughout the night, we heard a chorus of spiritual voices.
Some stories are magical, meant to be sung
Certain tales are extraordinary, and deserve to be articulated through music.
Songs from the mouth of the river
Melodies that originate from the river.
When the world was young
During the dawn of time.
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
The ghostly voices continued to permeate the night.
By moon
Under the light of the moon.
We walk
We travel.
To the brujo's door
Towards the door of the shaman's home.
Along a path of river stone
Journeying along a trail covered in stones from the riverbed.
Women with their nursing children
Mothers with their breastfeeding infants.
Seated on the floor
Sitting on the ground.
We join the fevers
We participate in the ritualistic dances.
And the broken bones
As well as the healing of injured bones.
The candlelight flickers
The light from the candle flickers.
The falcon calls
The falcon makes a vocalization.
A lime-green lizard scuttles down the cabin wall
An emerald-colored reptile moves quickly down the wall of the structure.
And all of these spirit voices
Ghostly sounds.
Sing rainwater, sea water
The voices chant about the waters of the earth.
River water, holy water
Both the water flowing in rivers and the sanctified water used in religious rituals.
Wrap this child in mercy â?? heal her
Implores for divine intervention to heal a sick child.
Heaven's only daughter
A phrase representing the ill child.
All of these spirit voices rule the night
The otherworldly voices continue to reign over the night.
My hands are numb
I have lost feeling in my hands.
My feet were lead
My feet feel extremely heavy and weigh me down.
I drank a cup of herbal brew
I consumed a tea-like drink composed of plants and herbs.
The sweetness in the air
The pleasant aroma in the atmosphere.
Combined with the lightness in my head
Along with the feeling of being lightheaded.
And I heard the jungle breathing in the bamboo
The sounds of the forest seemed alive and could be heard through the bamboo trees.
Saudocoes -- Greetings!
A friendly greeting in Portuguese.
Da licenca um momento -- Excuse me, one moment
A polite statement requesting a brief moment of attention.
Te lembro -- I remind you
The artist wishes to jog the listener's memory.
Que amanha -- That tomorrow
Referring to the next day.
Sera tudo ou sera naoa -- It will be all or it will be nothing
The outcome will either be a grand accomplishment or a catastrophic failure.
Depende coracao -- It depends, heart
Matters of the heart will decide the outcome.
Sera breve ou sera grande -- It will be brief or it will be great
The result will either be grand or short-lived.
Depende da paixao -- It depends on the passion
The intensity of emotions will impact the outcome.
Sera sujo, sera sonho -- It will be dirty, it will be a dream
The result will be both unpleasant and pleasant.
Cuidado, coracao -- Be careful, heart
A warning to the listener's passionate heart.
Sera util, sera tarde -- It will be useful, it will be late
The outcome will be helpful, but may arrive too late.
Se esmera, coracao -- Do your best, heart
Urging the listener's heart to give their best effort.
E confia -- And have trust
Encouraging the listener to possess faith.
Na forca do amanha -- In the power of tomorrow
Believing in the power of what the next day will bring.
Lord of the earthquake
A title to describe the ruler of earthquakes.
My trembling bed
The bed in which the singer is laying shakes.
The spider resumes the rhythm
The spider returns to its habitual means of movement.
Of his golden tread
Describing the spider's agile footwork, though the spider itself is not golden.
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
The ghostly voices continue to reign over the night.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind